Best Counties for Retirement in Alabama 2026

67 counties ranked by health care, safety, tax burden, and affordability.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Alabama

1Madison County

All 67 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Alabama

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Madison County, AL	70	61.9
2	Shelby County, AL	68	58.5
3	Hale County, AL	68	66.4
4	Lamar County, AL	67	66.3
5	Perry County, AL	65	67.4
6	Morgan County, AL	64	62.9
7	Jackson County, AL	64	61.9
8	Winston County, AL	63	60.4
9	Pickens County, AL	63	66.6
10	Wilcox County, AL	62	58.3
11	Washington County, AL	61	65.4
12	Clay County, AL	61	60.4
13	Conecuh County, AL	60	58.6
14	Sumter County, AL	59	59.1
15	Elmore County, AL	59	52.1
16	Geneva County, AL	58	61.9
17	Houston County, AL	58	53.7
18	Montgomery County, AL	58	48.5
19	Russell County, AL	58	55
20	DeKalb County, AL	57	62
21	Marshall County, AL	57	54.8
22	Marion County, AL	56	58.2
23	Coosa County, AL	56	55.8
24	Baldwin County, AL	56	48.6
25	Choctaw County, AL	55	54.7
26	Lawrence County, AL	55	59
27	Greene County, AL	53	56.6
28	St. Clair County, AL	52	49.4
29	Covington County, AL	52	55.6
30	Crenshaw County, AL	52	55.9
31	Lauderdale County, AL	51	53.9
32	Colbert County, AL	50	51.9
33	Randolph County, AL	50	56.9
34	Henry County, AL	50	55.8
35	Bullock County, AL	50	52.6
36	Lowndes County, AL	50	55.6
37	Bibb County, AL	49	49.2
38	Cleburne County, AL	49	57.6
39	Fayette County, AL	49	54.2
40	Monroe County, AL	49	52.2
41	Macon County, AL	49	55.9
42	Blount County, AL	49	52.9
43	Franklin County, AL	47	55.6
44	Barbour County, AL	46	46
45	Tallapoosa County, AL	46	50.7
46	Marengo County, AL	46	48.3
47	Cherokee County, AL	45	49.9
48	Autauga County, AL	45	41.9
49	Clarke County, AL	44	48.1
50	Limestone County, AL	44	42.9
51	Pike County, AL	44	47.3
52	Cullman County, AL	44	49.7
53	Tuscaloosa County, AL	44	39.7
54	Dallas County, AL	44	49.1
55	Lee County, AL	43	42.1
56	Coffee County, AL	43	44
57	Chilton County, AL	43	45.9
58	Escambia County, AL	43	46.3
59	Butler County, AL	43	45
60	Etowah County, AL	43	47.7
61	Talladega County, AL	42	46.9
62	Walker County, AL	42	47
63	Dale County, AL	40	45.9
64	Calhoun County, AL	40	44.2
65	Chambers County, AL	39	44.8
66	Jefferson County, AL	33	34.7
67	Mobile County, AL	32	33

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Alabama?

Based on our analysis of health care access, safety, property taxes, and cost of living, Madison County ranks as the top retirement county in Alabama with a retirement score of 70.

How many counties in Alabama are ranked for retirement?

We rank 67 counties in Alabama for retirement suitability, scoring each on health care access (35%), safety (30%), property tax (20%), and cost of living (15%).

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.